Door-operating mechanism



Nov. 1s, 1924- A. CAMPBELL DQOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 5 1921 2sheets-sheet 1 Iig, I

"J -f n Nov. 18, 1924 A.l CAMPBELL DOOR QPERATING MEcHANsM Filed Dec. 5`1921 2 Sheets-Shea! 2 Patented Nov. 18, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE.

ARGYLE CAMPBELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNQR TO ENTERPRISE RAILWAYEQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CQRBORATION IIJLINQIS.

'.DOOR-OEERATING MEC To @ZZ 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, A nernn CAMPBELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Door-OperatingMechanisms, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forminga. part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in door operating mechanisms.

One object of the invention is to provide a. simple and efficientmechanism for closing and maintaining in closed position, dump doors ofa car, particularly for that type of car known as a general service car.

Another object of the invention is to provide a door operating mechanismfor dump cars which employs an operating lever preferably provided witha socket to receive a stick-or bar to increase the leverage, the leverwith its socket being so disposed that it will have a portion thereofextending outside of the plane of the side sill of the car so as tofacilitate the operation when the shaft itself is difficult of accessbehind the side sill.

More specifically, the object of my invention is to providea dooroperating mechanism for general service cars wherein the mechanismemploys a traveling or rolling shaft and a pawl and ratchet devicemovable with the shaft for rotating it in combination with means forlocking the shaft against rotation in an unwinding direction in anyposition which the shaft may assume.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a sideelevational view of a portion of a dump car of the general service typeshowing my improvements in connection therewith. Figure 2 is alongitudinal, vertical, sectional view taken inside of the side sill ofthe car, Figure 2 being upon a somewhat larger scale than Figure 1. AndFigures 3 and 4 are enlarged vertical, transverse, sectional viewscorresponding respectively with the lines 3-3 and lL-4E of Figur-e 1,except that, in Figures 3 and 4, the shaft is shown in its outermostposition whereas in Figures 1 and 2, the shaft is shown under the doorsin position to sustain the latter.

ln, saiddrawings, the side wall of the car is shown as composed of aplurality of planks 10, side stakes 11 and diagonal braces 12. The floorof the car, as customary in general service cars, comprises stationaryor fixed end boards 13 and aplurality of door doors 14, the latter beingpivoted along their inner edges adjacent the center sill of the car andadapted to swing downwardlv about axes parallel with the center line ofthe car. As is also customary, an edge board 15 extends lengthwise ofthe car on each side thereof, thus completing the floor with the doors14.

The iuiderframe of the car, as shown. comprises transversely extendingdiaphragms or cross beams 16, preferably in the form of steel pressings,a suitable center sill construction (not shown) and channel side sills17.

In this type of general service car, the floor doors 14 occur betweenthe trucks, and the stationary floor boards 13 are at the end portionsof the car, as will be understood.

The door operating mechanism, as shown, comprises, on each side of thecar, a rolling or traveling shaft 18 which moves back and forth insuitable bearing castings 19 riveted to the diaphragme 16, said castings19 having horizontally extending elongated bearing slots 2O and thediaphragms being correspondingly recessed to accommodate the movementsthe shaft back and forth. Each of the door doors 14 is preferablyprovided on the under side thereof near the edges with shoes 21 roundedat their outer .ends serrated to cooperate with correspondingly disposedserrated wheels 22 rigidly secured to the shaft 18.. Adjacent eachserrated wheel 22 is a chain winding drum 23 having a helical. groovearound which winds a lifting chain 24, one end being secured to the drumand the other end toithe door, as will be understood. In this generaltype of mechanism, as the shaft 18 is turned in a closing direction, thechains wind around the drums 23, thus lifting the doors 14 until thelatter are almost in closed position, at which time further winding ofthe chains on the drums pulls the shaft 1.8 inwardly along the bearingslots until. the serrated wheels engage with the rounded ends of theshoes 21 and thereafter the shafts are rolled under the doors, thusforcing the latter to fully closed position and also holding them closedwith the load transferred to the shaft.

For rotating the shaft 1S, I employ the following arrangement. Securedto one end of the shaft under a fixed part of the car floor, is aratchet wheel 25 having a series of radially extending teeth with whichare adapted to cooperate two pawls 26 and .27 pivotally mounted on apivot bolt 23 carried by an operating lever 29. The latter, at its upperend, is provided with a bearing 30 freely oscillatably mounted on theshaft 13 so as to adapt the lever 29 to swing back and forth as will beapparent. At its bottom end, the lever 29 is provided with atransversely extending socket 31, adapted to accommodate the end of arod or bar to facilitate the operation. The lever 29, above the socket31, is of more or less reduced width considered transversely of the carso that, when the shaft 18 is in its outermost position with respect tothe diaphragms of the underframe and as shown in Figures 3 and 4. theoperating lever 29 may be swung to au extreme position indicated bydotted lines at 32 in Figure 3, in which position it will be noted thata portion of the lever is outside of a vertical plane corresponding` tothc outer face of the side walls 17 and thereby adaptingl the bar or rodindicated bydotted lines at 33 to swing upwardly clear of the side silland thus render it extremely convenient for the operator to manipulatethe lever even though the operating shaft and ratchet wheel thereon areconcealed behind the side sill and otherwise difficult of access.Preferably the bearing slots 20 in the castings '19 are formed with adepression at their outer ends as indicated as 119 to allow the shaft 13to drop slightly when in its extreme outer position. The pawls 26 and 27are used alternatively, one for winding up the chain and rotating theshaft in a closing direction and the other to rotate the shaft in theopposite direction to release the doors.

To hold the shaft 18 against rotation in an unwinding direction,regardless of the position of the shaft, I employ the followingarrangement. Mounted on the shaft 18 is what may be termed a fulcrumcasting having a bearing 35 around the shaft so that the latter is freeto rotate with respect to the casting 34. Said fulcrum casting 34 islocated between the lever 29 and the adjacent diaphragm 16. Said fulcrumcasting 34, at its upper end, is provided with a horizontally extending'flange 36 which moves within the corresponding bearing slot 2O and bywhich the fulcrum casting 34 will be held against rotation to anyappreciable extent although the fulcrum casting will be allowed a smallamount of play, as will be clear from an inspection of Figure 4. Nearits central portion, the fulcrum casting 34 is provided with an integralhorizontally extending second fiange 135 which extends under the bottomflange 136 of the adjacent diaphragm 16. A slight amount of clearance isleft between said flanges 135 and 136 to allow of a slight amount ofoscillation of the fulcrum casting 34 but, as will be understood, saidflange 135 will also serve to prevent the fulcrum casting 34 fromturning with the shaft 13, although the fulcrum casting is allowed totravel horizontally in unison with the shaft 18.

Rigidly secured to the shaft 13 between the fulcrum casting 34 and theoperating lever 29 is a second ratchet wheel 37 with which is adapted tocooperate a locking dog 36 pivotally mounted on the fulcrum casting 34as by the pivot bolt 39. The dog 38 is preferably of the gravity type7the same bcing weighted at its lower end so as to normally maintain itin engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 37. To positively lockthe dog 38 in engagement with the ratchet wheel 37, a locking cam 40 maybe employed, the same being pivotally mounted on the fulcrum casting 34as by the pivot bolt 41. lIVith the arrangement shown, it will beevident that the shaft 1S is prevented against rotation in an unwindingdirection, that is, in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 4,regardless of the position of the shaft 13 in the bearing slots 20.'

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferredmanner of carrying out the invention', but the same is merelyillustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that comewithin the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1 In a dump car, a sill, a bodily movable and rotatable shaft behindsaid sill, and an operating lever mounted on said shaft and bodilymovable therewith, said lever having a socket portion depending belowsaid sill.

2. In a dump car, a sill, a rotatable and bodily movable shaft behindsaid sill, and a lever mounted on said shaft, said operating leverhaving a portion thereof depending below the bottom of said sill.

3. In a car, the combination with a sill; of car door mechanism having alifting shaft arranged to support the door directly when the door israised, said shaft being located behind said sill; a flexible connectionbetween the shaft and door; and pawl and ratchet mechanism for rotatingsaid shaft and including a lever depending below said sill.

4. In a car, the combination with a side sill; of car door mechanismcomprising a lifting device and flexible means whereby it is movedautomatically into supporting position under the door when the door isclosed, said lifting device being located behind said sill; and anoperating lever mounted on said device, said lever having a portionthereof depending below said side sill and accessible for manipulation.

5. In an operating mechanism for a car having a` side sill, a pivotedfloor door, a bodily movable and rotatable operating shaft, and flexibleconnections between said shaft and the door; the combination with anoperating lever supported from and bodily movable with said shaft anddepending below said sill.

6. In a dump car, a sill, a bodily movable and rotatable shaft behindsaid sill, an operating lever mounted on said shaft and movabletherewith, said lever1 being accessible below said sill, and meansmovable with the shaft and cooperable therewith to prevent accidentalrotation of the shaft in an opening direction.

7. In a dump car, a sill, a discharge door operating shaft behind saidsill, a ratchet wheel mounted on said shaft, an operating leverrotatably mounted adjacent said ratchet wheel and accessible below saidsill, and reversely operable pawl means carried by said lever and-cooperable with said ratchet wheel to rotate it in either direction.

8. In an operating mechanism for cars having a pivoted discharge door,the combination with a rotatable shaft movable to a position underneaththe door to support it in closed position; of a flexible connectionbetween said shaft and door; and means for rotating said shaft includinga ratchet wheel, a pawl and au operating lever supported by and movablein unison with said shaft, the pawl being mounted on said lever.

f). In a dump car having a pivoted fioor door and a side sill, thecombination with an operating shaftl for said door, said shaft beinglocated above the bottom of the side sill. and behind the latter, saidshaft being rotat able and bodily movable to a position be neath thedoor when the latter is in closed position; and means for rotating saidsha-ft including an operating lever depending be low said side sill,said operating lever being movable in unison with the shaft.

l0. In a dump car having a pivoted floor door and a side sill, thecombination with an operating shaft for said door, said shaft beinglocated above the bottom of the side sill and behind the latter, saidshaft being rotatable and bodily movable to a position beneath the doorwhen the latter is in closed position; means for rotating said shaft including an operating lever depending below said side sill, saidoperating lever being` movable in unison with the shaft; and means forlocking said shaft against accidental rotation in an opening directionincluding elements carried by the shaft and movable bodily in unisontherewith.

1l. In a dump car, having a side sill and a diaphragm. both locatedbelow the level of the floor, and apivoted floor door, the oombinationwith a bodily movable and rotatable shaft located behind said side sill;of an elongated bearing for said shaft secured to said diaphragm; aflexible connection between said shaft and door; pawl and ratchetmechanism for effecting rotation of said shaft and adapted, inconjunction with said iiexible connection, to move the shaft beneath thedoor to hold the latter in closed position; and means for preventing'acciden tal reverse rotation of said shaft, said means includinga membermovable bodily with said shaft and having a projection extending beneathsaid diaphgram whereby to prevent rotation of said member during thebodily travel of said shaft.

l2. In a dump car, the combination with a side sill; of a discharge dooroperating shaft located behind said sill, said shaft being bodilymovable and rotatable; an operating lever mounted on said shaft andmovable therewith; and means adapted to travel with said shaft forpreventing rotation of the latter accidentally in an unwinding direction.

In witness that. I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed myname this 15th day of Nov. 1921.

ARGYLE CAMPBELL.

Titnesses UNA C. Glasser', ANN BAKER.

